Thursday, May 15, 2014

India-Cochin-1938-44-6 Pies (red/brown)-"Official" (overprinted on face and reverse-with inverted "S")

Illustrated below is the 6 Pies (red/brown) of Maharaja Rama Varma 111. There are two varieties of printing of the value. Originally recess printed by Perkins Bacon from 1933-38 with an umbrella watermark. From 1938 the stamps were litho printed in Madras. This example is of the litho printing. Official stamps were overprinted with 11 varieties of  "On C G S" each showing more or less marked differences of lettering size/style etc. The example below is of the S.G. overprint 07. (with the sub-variety of inverted "S"). Other values of the stamp issues of this Maharaja are listed in Gibbons as having the official overprint on the face and reverse but not the 6 Pies value.